


Consideration

by bigblueboxat221b



Category: Come From Away - Sankoff & Hein
Genre: Awkward Conversations, F/M, Friends to Lovers, In Gander, Late Night Conversations, do not copy to another site
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-08
Updated: 2020-01-08
Packaged: 2021-02-27 05:20:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22171684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bigblueboxat221b/pseuds/bigblueboxat221b
Summary: Nick's hesitant to crowd Diane, but when she gets up for a late night wander, well, he can't let her go on her own.
Relationships: Nick/Diane
Comments: 6
Kudos: 6





	Consideration

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: This is not RPF  
> While Nick and Diane in the musical are based on real people, this story is set strictly in the fictional representation of them in the musical, ‘Come From Away’. I haven’t done any research into their personal lives, and anything further than what is canon in the musical is completely made up, with the exception of some geographical details. This is not intended to represent the real life couple in any way, their thoughts, attitudes or actions. It’s just my brain saying, ‘what if?’, as it does to every story that resonates with me.

Nick stretched, glancing in the dim light to Diane’s cot, unsurprised to see it empty. Much as she might be brushing off his tentative questions, he knew she wasn’t sleeping well. As they queued for their evening meal last night, the woman in the cafeteria had mentioned Diane being a night owl, coming in for cups of tea at all hours; she’d blushed and flashed a glance at Nick, who decided to ignore it. It was really none of his business, but he could see the exhaustion and sadness in her face when she thought he wasn’t looking. It affected him more than he thought it would, and he didn’t know how to address it without upsetting Diane.

They hadn’t walked anywhere yesterday, not really. Down for a coffee and doughnuts at Tim Horton’s barely counted. Her hands wrapped around her coffee, shoulders slumped as Nick tried to engage her in some kind of conversation. She smiled at him, and offered answers to his questions, but he had the strange impression she would rather sit quietly, so he reigned in his tendency to babble and they did just that. The walk back was equally quiet, and they found themselves sitting in the shade of a building, watching people move past, the grass probably staining his trousers.

That was the kind of thing that would have made him anxious a week ago but Nick couldn’t find it in himself to care. His attention was focussed on Diane, and when she suggested they sit here, he agreed immediately. It might have been a small thing but she was clearly finding this whole situation difficult and he wanted to make it easier. If that meant sitting on the grass in tan trousers, he would do so gladly.

Tonight she’d wanted to turn in early, the first admission she was tired, and Nick agreed. He wasn’t sleeping all that well, his concern about Diane rousing him periodically. The room was hardly quiet or still by anyone’s standards, and he wondered if that was contributing to her restlessness. At least the lights were dimmed and people weren’t talking when they retired; given how many children were around, the shelter had agreed to an early curfew, so the sleeping spaces were dark-ish and quiet-ish from an early(ish) hour.

Now, he could see it was barely past midnight, but most people had turned in. The cots were full of bodies sleeping, the susurrus almost like white noise without the calming effect.

But Diane was gone.

Nick considered staying here but realistically, he wouldn’t sleep again if he didn’t know where she was. He wanted to find her, to offer what comfort he could, even if it was simply his presence or a cup of tea. For a moment he wondered if his desire was too self-motivated – would she want to see him? Was he imposing on her? – but the desire to at least check was strong. He would make it clear he’d leave her alone if that was what she wanted. At least he’d know.

Rolling off his cot, Nick tried to navigate out of the room without waking anyone. He was probably successful; nobody shushed him, at least. Once he was standing in the corridor, his feet took him automatically to the cafeteria. His own late wanderings on the first night had shown him it was the hub of the school, and someone had assured him there would be food, drinks and local people there until the last passenger departed. The simple statement had made him pause and Nick thanked the man he’d been speaking to, who shrugged and said, “Sure, b’y.”

Now, the space was still fairly quiet; as he paused in the doorway, Nick could see Diane standing by the urns. She finished adding milk to her mug and turned away from him, making her way around the corner. He knew there was an alcove there, just big enough for a pair of sofas. He had no idea what they usually used it for, but he figured Diane was looking for some privacy. Taking a minute to make himself a mug of tea, Nick decided to go and say hello and decide from there if he should offer to stay or not.

Picking up his steaming mug, Nick smiled at the local woman drying cutlery then stepped across to the alcove. Diane was the only person there, and she wasn’t sitting quietly with her tea, as Nick thought she might be. Instead her mug was on the floor and she sat with her feet tucked up, face buried in her hands. She was crying silent tears, and Nick had no idea what to do. He certainly couldn’t leave her here on her own; equally he didn’t want to interrupt her. Instead he carefully sat beside her. She stiffened, but didn’t move.

“It’s just me,” he said, allowing his voice to carry only to her. “Nick.”

He didn’t try to say anything else, and for a few seconds he wondered if she would ask him to go. Instead her shoulders relaxed a little, though she didn’t raise her face. Nick settled back, sipping at his tea ( _too hot, need to wait_ ) and allowing his mind to wander. If none of this had happened he would be almost on the way home again. The conference was only three days; he had argued stridently that it was a waste of resources to send him so far, but his boss insisted. It was just another example of how little he felt valued by the company. Nobody appeared to care when he provided documentation to prove his doctor recommended he travel less. His boss had actually reminded him it was part of his job description to fly at the company’s discretion.

He sighed. It would probably be time for him to look seriously for another job when he returned. His industry was small, and he knew personally most of the people he should contact at other companies – there had been some conversations already. It was delicate, feeling out if they were interested in hiring him without wind of it getting back to his boss, but it was his health at stake.

Glancing over at Diane, an idea came to him again, something he’d thought about several times since arriving here. There were at least two companies in Texas that had approached him in the last couple of years with job offers. At the time he had not been willing to move from London, but now, a whisper of acceptance danced through him at the idea of continuing those conversations. His father was gone and with no other family and few close friends, this might be the time to consider something more drastic.

It wouldn’t hurt that Diane lived there too. Not that he anticipated anything coming of this, whatever it was. They were friends, certainly, but there was an undercurrent of something else Nick couldn’t quite grasp there as well. Had circumstances been different he would have pursued it slowly, but here they didn’t have that luxury. Should their flight leave, they would have only a few hours on the plane and then...he’d be alone again.

The idea disturbed him more than he cared to admit.

Shifting, he glanced at Diane again. She was no longer sobbing, and she’d relaxed further; as he watched her shoulders lifted and dropped with a deep breath. His fingers tightened on his mug, stopping himself reaching out. He was here out of friendship, he told himself. Nothing more. The mug wasn’t as hot as it had been and he drank from it again, the tea at the perfect drinking temperature to warm his mouth. The few days they’d spent in each other’s company had grown more comfortable, at least that was how he’d considered it. The casual touches of close friends had crept in, and Nick was tentative in his hope that it might mean something. Something worth taking the time to pursue, even with such a geographical distance between them.

“Thank you.” Diane’s voice pulled him out of his idle thoughts.

She was sitting up, face uncovered as she looked at him. Her eyes were red and her exhaustion was there for him to see. He wondered if she realised how vulnerable – and beautiful – she looked.

“You’re welcome,” he replied. She picked up her mug and wrinkled her nose at the cold contents. “Allow me,” he said, holding out his hand for her mug. “White tea, one sugar?”

“Yes,” she said with a shade of surprise. “Thank you.”

Nick smiled, taking the mugs back to the kitchen and refilling them both. Whether he was staying for a long while or not, she hadn’t asked him to leave immediately, and that was something. Perhaps the growing intimacy he’d been interpreting was correct after all.

When he returned, Diane was sitting much as she had been; feet still tucked up, arms wrapped around herself protectively. Nick itched to do the same, but instead he smiled when she looked up at him.

“Here you are,” he murmured, passing her mug.

“Thank you,” she said. He sat beside her, turning a little when she added, “I’ve thanked you a lot since you arrived.”

Nick shrugged. “I just wanted to make sure you were alright,” he said quietly. He hesitated, but forced himself to add, “If you’d rather I go, I wouldn’t mind.”

“No,” Diane replied immediately, one hand reaching out but falling short of actually touching him. “Please stay. Your company is…” she trailed off, electing to finish the sentence with a small smile.

“Of course,” Nick replied, relief pounding through his veins. They sat in silence for a few minutes, Nick forcing himself not to let his eyes linger on Diane for too long. She was staring into her mug, the tendrils of steam cupping her face as they rose. He wondered what she was thinking about. Was there something in particular she was upset about, or was it the whole situation? She had definitely told him her son was safe, so that wasn’t it.

“I haven’t been sleeping well,” Diane said. Nick did his best not to react too much, hoping she would go on. She let the words settle between them for a few minutes before adding, “I’m not really sure why.” It wasn’t quite convincing.

Nick nodded. “It’s not an entirely normal situation,” he ventured, unsure if she wanted suggestions or not.

“No,” she said, glancing at him. Their eyes met and she smiled a little. “Not at all.”

Nick nodded again, not wanting to pry. “Did you…was there something in particular?”

Diane frowned a little. “I said I wasn’t really sure.”

“You did,” Nick agreed neutrally.

“You don’t believe me,” Diane said, studying his face.

Nick tilted his head noncommittally, and the silence stretched out again.

“I don’t want to go back,” Diane quietly.

Nick froze at the words. It could mean a lot of things, he said to himself.

“You don’t?”

She turned, holding her mug out carefully so it didn’t spill. “I don’t,” she said, and this time there was more conviction as she met his eyes as she spoke.

Nick wasn’t sure how to respond, so he waited. She was still holding his eyes, searching for something, though she wasn’t sure what. Did she want him to ask why? His heart fluttered at the idea. Was he ready to hear the answer if it had nothing to do with him?

Was he ready if it was all to do with him? Carefully, he placed his mug on the floor and turned towards her.

“Why?” The question was almost whispered, falling from his mouth almost by accident. As though it had decided to act without the input of his brain.

Diane looked at him steadily, her expression grave. She was clearly thinking about her answer, and Nick rationalised that she would only do that if she was going to be honest. It made it easier to wait as she sipped her tea, leaning to the side to place it on the floor before turning back to him.

“I’ll miss you,” she said. The words were simple and still a little ambiguous, but Nick’s heart still skipped a beat. There was room for interpretation, but the overall message was still encouraging, all things considered.

“Me too,” he managed, then cleared his throat to say it again more clearly. “I will miss you. When we each return home.”

“Home,” she repeated, and the word carried more sadness than it should.

Nick nodded, and with his heart in his mouth, he reached out to thread their fingers together. To his relief she responded immediately, relaxing her hand for him. “Is that what’s made it…difficult to sleep?” he asked carefully.

“Yes,” she said. “I don’t know…I’m not sure what I think our relationship might look like after this, but it won’t be the same.”  
“No,” Nick agreed, hardly believing they were having this conversation. “It won’t.”

Diane’s fingers curled around his, and he repressed a shiver. “I don’t think the world will be the same,” she said. A slight frown creased her brow as she said more quietly, “I don’t think I am the same.”

Nick considered his response carefully. Now that Diane had started this line of conversation he didn’t want to lose it, but pushing things too far would be a problem. “Well I can’t speak for the Diane from before Gander,” he said, “but I like this Diane.”

“You do?” she asked.

Nick nodded. “Very much,” he replied.

Diane didn’t respond for what felt like a long while, and Nick wondered if he’d pushed it too far. When she did speak, it took the conversation in a different direction. “London’s a long way from Dallas,” she said. “Big time difference.”

“Six hours ahead,” Nick said automatically. She raised an eyebrow at his quick response. “Have to remember for work,” he said. “Calling my boss at the end of the day is generally a no when I’m in Dallas.”

“Ah,” Diane said. She didn’t say anything else, but Nick realised they were both stroking each other’s fingers, slow caresses within their loose hold. It was soothing, he thought, and hoped she felt the same. At least she was reciprocating; their mutual action made him feel less apprehensive about his position.

“So I’ll have to remember to call you in the mornings,” Diane said eventually.

Nick didn’t realise how much he’d zoned out until she spoke again. Her voice was thick with emotion, and as he blinked and focussed again, he felt a tear drop onto his hand. Diane’s eyes were bright, more tears sliding down her cheeks as she blinked.

“When I’m in London,” Nick replied. He reached out, slowly so she could pull away, and wiped at one cheek. “But I do visit Dallas.” His heart thumped as he blurted, “Remember how my boss keeps insisting I have to travel?”

Diane nodded, clearly not seeing the connection.

“I’ve been talking to companies in Texas. About taking a job. One where I don’t have to travel.”

“What?” Diane whispered.

Nick shrugged a little uncomfortably. He was slightly stretching the truth here. “It’s only the first conversations, and I’m still working in London,” he shrugged again. “But if they go well, I could be moving. Soon.”

“How soon?” Diane asked.

“Months?” Nick said tentatively. “It depends on a lot of factors-”

He was cut off when she pulled her hands away and leaned forward to wrap her arms around him, pressing her face into his neck. This time, he could do what he had wanted to earlier; wrap his arms around her as she sobbed, breathing deeply and hoping he was helping. She was warm, he couldn’t help noticing, as she shook in his arms, and she smelled good. Nick switched his brain off, sinking into the moment instead. He had no idea what Diane was thinking; this could be the only time this happened and he wanted to remember every second of it.

By the time Diane’s sobs subsided, Nick had no idea how long they’d sat together in their embrace. He wasn’t going to break it; this was for Diane, he told himself. To comfort her, so he would be led by her. His own desire to sit here forever was irrelevant.

When Diane shifted, Nick eased slightly, allowing her space to sit up, but she did not move as he expected. Instead her hands came around to cup his face and before he could react she was kissing him, her hands on his face as she pressed her mouth to his.

It took Nick a full second to realise what was going on, and another to realise he should be kissing her back. She was almost pulling away – he could feel her weight shift – but he pressed forward, returning her kiss before she could break it. Someone sighed with relief and they sank back into each other, this time the ambiguity of their hug broken as they kissed deeply and slowly in their quiet alcove.

They hadn’t spoken, but when the kiss finally eased, Nick found himself completely at ease with their new intimacy. Diane had kissed him. Kissed him, in a very determined and unambiguous manner, and when he’d returned it, well, she’d been happy about it. He found his forehead pressed to hers, their eyes meeting over the few centimetres gap as they smiled at each other.

“Please come to Dallas,” she whispered. “I won’t have to miss you as much.”

Nick never did anything without due consideration. This time it only took a split second to decide.

“Okay,” he said, and this time, they both leaned into the kiss.


End file.
